Electrical circuit interrupter switch



May 26, 1970 R. P. BRIDGES 3,514,550

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER SWITCH Filed NOV. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Illlll lflnrll w k i T y 1970 R. P. BRIDGES I 3,514,560

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER SWITCH Filed Nov. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2/ 26 27 34 g 26 lag/-61 5 y Q? I United States Patent O 3,514,560 ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER SWITCH Ronald P. Bridges, Bridges Electric, Inc., 2451 Wisconsin St., Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 Filed Nov. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 779,952 Int. Cl. H01h 9/44, 33/18 US. Cl. 200-146 23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical circuit interrupter switch in which a blade type switch has a bracket for supporting a tubular interrupter, the bracket having a central hole in which an interrupter is mounted by moving it axially in one direction, the interrupter having a mounting collar that abuts the bracket and has laterally extending rigid' latch fingers which are engaged with opposed spring latches on the bracket by rotation of the interrupter in the hole. Stops on the bracket engage the fingers to limit rotation of the interrupter, and retaining flanges on the bracket engage the fingers in latched position to eifectively prevent reverse axial movement of the interrupter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Bridges Pat. 3,205,330 discloses an electrical circuit interrupter switch in which the mounting of a cylindrical interrupter member on the switch body is by means of a highly specialized bayonet slot type of connection which is very rugged and adequate for its purpose. The structure is illustrated in FIGS. to 9 of the drawings of Pat. 3,205,330.

The present invention constitutes an improved mounting for the type of switch and interrupter unit disclosed in Pat. 3,205,330, the present structure being far less expensive and easier to fabricate than that disclosed in the patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved mounting means for supporting a cylindrical electric circuit interrupter unit on an electric disconnect switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting structure which can be manufactured at lower cost than that disclosed in Pat. 3,205,330, principally by eliminating intricate machining operations required to produce the mounting means of the patent.

Still another object of the invention is to reduce the amount of rotation about the center line of the interrupter to lock it in its mounting bracket from approximately 45 to approximately This makes it easier to adapt the interrupter unit to use with certain types of switches, and also simplifies installation and removal of interrupter units by the use of a hook stick.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an electrical circuit interrupter switch embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially as illustrated along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially as illustrated along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view tanken substantially as illustrated along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken substantially as illustrated along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

3,514,560 Patented May 26, 1970 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to FIG. 1, an interrupter switch structure is the same type as that disclosed in Pat. 3,205,330, and consists of a support bar 10 which carries insulators 11 and 12 at the lower ends of which are switch contacts 13 and 14, respectively, supplied with line connectors 13a and 14a, respectively, to receive connections from a high voltage electric line. On the switch contact 13 is a pair of depending pivot ears 15 which support a pivot 16 on which a switch blade 17 is mounted for pivotal movement between the closed position of FIG. 1 in which its free end 18 engages switch contact 14, and an open position. At the free end of the switch blade is a latch mechanism, indicated generally at 19.

An inclined web 20 of switch contact 14 carries an interrupter bracket, indicated generally at 21, in which a cylindrical interrupter unit, indicated generally at 22, is removably mounted. The structure of the interrupter unit 22 is generally in accordance with the disclosure of Pat. 3,205,330, and need be described herein only to the extent necessary to state that it has triggering mechanism, indicated generally at 24, including a pivoted actuating finger 25 which is engaged by the free end 18 of the switch blade 17 as the latter moves from the closed circuit position of FIG. 1 toward open position to trigger the interrupter mechanism. The structure as heretofore described is not materially ditferent from that of Pat. 3,205,330, and the present invention resides in the strucmm of the mounting bracket 21 and the cooperating parts of the interrupter unit 22 which will now be described.

Referring now to particularly to FIGS. 2 to 5, the mounting bracket 21 is seen to include a base plate 26 having an upstanding annular flange 27 that surrounds a hole 28. At opposite sides of the plate 26, beneath the plate and parallel to it, are flanges 29 and 29a which are integrally connected to the plate by webs 30. Embracing each of the webs 30 is a U-shaped spring, indicated generally at 31 which has a first arm 32 anchored to the outside of the web by a screw 33, and which has a free arm 34 that extends into the space between the plate 26 and the flanges 29 and 29a intermediate the anchored spring arm 32 and the hole 28, and the free spring arm 34 has a recessed detent portion 35. The springs 31 thus serve as resilient latch means. A pair of post members 36 extend between the plate 26 and the flanges 29 and 29a, and the free spring arms 34 are biased against the post members 36. The post members 36 serve as stops, as will be described hereafter.

The interrupter member 22 is provided with a mounting collar 37 which has a planar face 38, and a pair of integral latch fingers 39 extend transversely from the collar 37. As best seen in FIG. 4 the latch fingers 39 have rounded ends 40 provided with grooves 41 which, when the interrupter unit is mounted on the bracket 21, engage the recessed detent portions 35 of the free spring arms 34.

As is apparent from the foregoing detailed description and the drawings the interrupter unit 22 is mounted on the switch by extending it axially through the hole 28 in the bracket 21 until the planar face 38 of the interrupter collar 37 abuts the underside of the plate 26. Insertion of the interrupter unit in the hole is made with the interrupter latch fingers 39 clear of the bight ends of the U-shaped latch springs 31. The interrupter is then rotated counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 4 to bring the latch fingers 39 into engagement with the free arms 34 of the latch springs 31, and when the fingers are engaged in the recessed detents 35 they abut the posts 36 3 which thus serve as stops limiting rotational movement of the interrupter unit in the mounting bracket.

It is desirable for the interrupter unit to be locked against accidental release from the latch springs, and accordingly the plate 26 and the flange 29a are provided with aligned holes 42 and 43, respectively, which are spaced from the adjacent stop posts 36- and receive a removable locking pin 44 which locks the interrupter member against reverse rotation out of latching engagement with the latch spring arms 31. The lock pin 44 is conveniently a large cotter pin.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a high voltage electric circuit switch and circuit interrupter of the type in which a pivotally mounted switch blade has electric contact means at its free end which close a circuit through mating contacts on a switch body member, and in which a tubular circuit interrupter is detachably mounted on the switch body member and has a pivoted actuating finger which is engaged by the switch blade to trigger the interrupter as the blade is rotated on its pivotal mounting to move from closed circuit toward open circuit position, mounting means for the interrupter comprising, in combination: a bracket which projects from the switch body member adjacent the blade, there being a round hole in said bracket; resilient latch means on the bracket alongside said hole; a mounting collar on the interrupter which slidingly engages said hole and is freely rotatable therein; transversely extending latch finger means on said mounting collar which abuts the bracket to limit axial movement of the interrupter through said hole in one direction, an outer extremity of said latch finger means releasably engaging said resilient latch means upon rotation of the interrupter in a predetermined direction in said hole; stop means on said bracket which limits rotation of the interrupter in said predetermined direction when said latch finger means is engaged with said resilient latch means; and retaining means 'on the bracket which effectively prevents axial movement of the interrupter in the other direction when the interrupter is in said limit position of rotation.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the bracket projects from the switch body member adjacent the free end of the switch blade and is inclined relative to the plane occupied by the blade in closed position so that an interrupter mounted in the bracket may have its pivoted actuating finger projecting into the arc of movement of the free end of the switch blade.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the bracket has an integral flange at one margin which is parallel to the bracket, said flange forming the retaining means, and in which the resilient latch means is supported between the bracket and the flange.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the stop means comprises a fixed member extending between the bracket and the flange.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which the resilient latch means comprises a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored at a marginal portion of the bracket and which has a free arm extending into the space between the bracket and the flange with said free arm biased toward the hole and against the stop, said free arm having a recessed detent portion which engages the latch finger in said limit position of the interrupter.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which the resilient latch means comprises a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored at a marginal portion of the bracket and a free arm between said anchored arm and the hole, said free arm being biased toward the hole and having a recessed detent portion which engages the latch finger in said limit position of the interrupter.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which the free arm of the spring is biased against the stop.

8. The combination of claim 3 in which the resilient latch means comprises a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored at a marginal portion of the bracket and which has a free arm extending into the space between the bracket and the flange, said free arm being biased toward the hole and having a recessed detent portion which engages the latch finger in said limit position of the interrupter.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which the free arm of the U-shaped spring is biased against the stop means.

10. The combination of claim 1 in which there are opposed resilient latch members at opposite sides of the bracket flanking the hole, and in which the latch finger means on the interrupter collar comprises two oppositely extending fingers which simultaneously engage the opposed resilient latch members as the interrupter is rotated in said predetermined direction.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which each resilient latch member is a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored at a marginal portion of the bracket and a free arm between the anchored end and the hole in the bracket, each said free arm being biased toward the hole and having a recessed detent portion which engages one of the latch fingers in said limit position of the interrupter.

12.. The combination of claim 11 in which the bracket has a pair of integral, parallel flanges which form the retaining-means, and in which the free arm of each spring is positioned between the bracket and one of the flanges.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which the stop means comprises a pair of fixed members each of which extend between the bracket and one of the flanges, and in which each spring has its free arm biased against one of the stop members.

14. The combination of claim 1 which includes movable lock means engaging the bracket and adapted to engage the latch finger means when the interrupter is in its limit position of rotation to releasably lock the interrupter against reverse rotation.

15. The combination of claim 1 in which the bracket is provided with a hole which is so positioned that a removable lock pin may be inserted in said hole to engage the latch finger means when the interrupter is in its limit position of rotation and thus lock the interrupter against reverse rotation.

16. In a switch for opening and closing a high voltage current carrying circuit, said switch being of the type which has a first switch contact member, a pivoted switch blade, and a second switch contact member spaced from said first contact member with which a free end of the switch blade selectively engages to close said circuit, the improvement comprising: a circuit interrupter supporting bracket on the second switch contact member, said bracket including a plate provided with a round hole; resilient latch means on said plate adjacent the hole, said latch means being adapted to make latching engagement with an element which is closely adjacent the plate and moving concentrically about the center of the hole in a predetermined direction; stop means on the plate for stopping such an element in engagement with the latch means; and retaining means on the plate for holding such an element against movement away from the plate only when the element is engaged with the latch means.

17. The switch of claim 16 in which the bracket plate is provided with an integral parallel flange which forms the retaining means.

18. The switch of claim 17 in which the spring latch means comprises a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored to a marginal portion of the plate and which has a free arm between the plate and the flange and between the anchored arm and the hole, said free arm being biased toward the hole and having a recessed detent portion.

19. The switch of claim 18 in which the stop means comprises a fixed member extending between the plate and the flange, and the free arm of the spring is biased against the fixed member.

20. The switch of claim 16 in which the hole is midway between two margins of the plate, and the resilient latch means comprises two opposed resilient latch members flanking the hole.

21. The switch of claim 20 in which each resilient latch member comprises a U-shaped spring which has one arm anchored at a margin of the plate and which has a free arm between the anchored arm and the hole, each of said free arms being biased toward the hole and having a recessed detent portion.

22. The switch of claim 21 which includes a pair of flanges which are parallel to the plate, each of said flanges overlying one of the free spring arms, and said flanges providing the retaining means.

23. The switch of claim 22 in which the stop means comprises a pair of fixed members each of which extends between the plate and one of the flanges, and in which each spring has its free arm biased against one of the stops.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,621,271 12/1952 Lindell 200-146 2,785,254 3/1957 Atkinson 200146 3,205,330 9/1965 Bridges 200-146 3,308,259 3/ 1967 Hulteen et a1. 200-146 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner H. J. HOHAUSER, Assistant Examiner 

